Labeling.

In addition to telling stories or as a part of telling stories, we also have a compulsion to label each other. The “politically correctness” crowd I believe has a point. Labels put others in boxes and with that, certain expectations or limitations. In grade school for example, what happens when a kid is labeled as “bad” or a “troublemaker” or even worse a “loser”? The label or role all too often becomes internalized and gets played out. The opposite can also hold true as well. “Honor Student” can keep expectations high. “Good student” same idea. “Student athlete” can go either way depending on how it is used. The words we use to describe others are important and it is not just in school. Let’s consider a few more labels.

“Felon” – somebody convicted of a serious crime. This is a label one can get and keep long after the jail time is done. Here in the USA, in my experience, we are pretty damn unforgiving. Getting this label can follow one to the grave. It translates into someone who is no longer trustworthy no matter how long it has been since the offence was committed or what they have done beneficial for others. This label often drives people back into the corrections system where they earn a new label, Repeat offender. The consequences are much the same and the cycle will often repeat itself. It is an extremely difficult stigma to overcome and right or wrong will likely never go away. I wish we would re-think this one. I agree with Jesus, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” I think we would do well to lighten up a little and give those who have made some poor decisions in the past a second chance. Here’s another ugly label.

“Illegals” – a person in the USA from another country (usually south of the border) without proper immigration paperwork. Somehow, without the right papers, they lack basic human rights. There are those who think they should be denied access to health care, education and protection under the law. NEWS FLASH it is only a misdemeanor to be here without documentation! They are often viewed as criminals involved in the drug trade or worse. With any large group of people, there are a small number doing bad things. People break laws but there is no such thing as an illegal human being. These people do some of the nastiest hardest work in the country often under slave-like conditions. They fear the police and have little recourse when crimes are committed against them. Solving the immigration problem will not be accomplished via labeling and stereotyping but rather clamping down on employers who routinely hire desperate people fleeing economic turmoil ad savage drug wars. We should be doing our part to help Mexico and other countries to our south end the ceaseless drug wars and build a viable economy. Here is another powerful label.

“Terrorists”- a person who employs terror or terrorism, esp as a political weapon. (From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/terrorist). Being labeled this is a sure way to by pass any legal protections supposedly guaranteed under the Constitution! These are the true “Bad” guys and we all know there is only one way to deal with them- death! In movies, news, popular literature these are the psychopaths willing to kill innocents, blow up buildings and target baby seals. We relish our “Good” guys whack them in the end a la Bin Laden. The problem is we seldom look beyond the label and ask why there are terrorists in the first place. WARNING- understanding is not justification for cowardly acts like crashing planes into buildings or hosing down old handicapped people with an AK-47. Rather understanding is getting less and less people seeing these acts as a way of gaining justice. Dealing with root causes like supporting despotic regimes is a better way of solving the problem than hunting down individual “Bad” guys and in the process creating even more “Bad” guys. There is one more label I’d like to consider tonight. “The Bad Attitude.”

“Bad Attitude” – a person or people in the workplace who are seen as a troublemakers. This is the kiss of death for a career. He or she does not understand what we are trying to do or ‘see the big picture.” They often ask irrelevant questions about fairness, consistency and honesty. The “Bad Attitude” label is a quick trip to the ranks of the unemployed, especially in a tanking economy. Who needs people asking uncomfortable questions when the line to take his or her job is out the door and sown the street? Too many of us steer clear of this label at any cost, even if we have to sell our souls. What we get is a world run by fewer and fewer people and a quiet dread of Monday morning.

The Politically Correctness Crowd (there I go labeling) has a point, the terms we use to describe each other are important. Labeling is a way of taking away other people’s humanity. Dehumanization and objectification of other human beings contributes to very bad things like genocide, slavery and marginalization. Take away one’s humanity and suddenly anything can be done to them. We need to pick our terms carefully.